3 Things - August 20, 2025
3 Things
School Leadership Team Elections
It is time for the Decatur High School Leadership Team (SLT) Elections. DHS has two parent 2-year terms expiring this year. These terms will last for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 school years. If you are interested in serving DHS as an SLT member or returning as a member, please submit your name, a paragraph with a biographical statement, and a paragraph stating why you want to be on the SLT to Dr. Sprull at dsprull@csdecatur.net.
To be eligible for election as a parent representative to the DHS SLT, you must meet the following criteria:
1. You must be the parent or legal guardian of a student who is enrolled at DHS when the 2-year term begins and is in grades 9-11 to facilitate the two-year term.
2. You must not be an employee of City Schools of Decatur.
3. You must not be an elected or appointed member of another School Leadership Team (SLT).
The deadline for submission is Wednesday, August 27, 2025. We will eBlast candidate statements in a special newsletter, and voting will be from September 2, 2025 until September 9, 2025. SLT elections will occur virtually, and winners will be announced September 11, 2025.
The Decatur High School Leadership Team (SLT) is an elected committee consisting of parents/guardians, DHS staff members, community members, and other personnel. All CSD schools have an SLT, formed as part of our System Charter, renewed by the state in 2014 and 2023. Some of the responsibilities of this team are:
School Improvement Plan (SIP): Develop, approve, and monitor the continuous school improvement planning process
Review the allocation of the school’s instructional and technology budget
Review student achievement data
Recommend and support school's needs to the CSD Board of Education during the annual budget process
Help with the interview process of potential Decatur High School employees
Participate in monthly evening meetings
Current members of the DHS SLT (term expires) are:
Elected Parents: Mike Jardine (2026), Kristen Denius (2025), Kim Thompson (2025), and Margaret Ciccarelli (2026)
Staff Members: Ira Jenkins and Cherith Johnson
Principal: Duane Sprull
Career Academy Director: Terra Smiley (non-voting)
See more about the DHS SLT here.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Feedback Opportunity
We are writing to inform you about an important new initiative at our school: the adoption of an AI Assessment Use Scale. This scale will be put into place to provide clear guidelines for how Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can be used in academic assessments, ensuring academic integrity while also embracing the evolving landscape of technology. Our goal is to promote responsible engagement with AI tools, prepare students for a future where AI is increasingly prevalent, and maintain fairness in all assignments.
The Generative AI Acceptable Use Scale defines different levels of AI use in assessments, ranging from no AI use to full AI integration with human oversight. Generative AI refers to technology that can create new content like text, pictures, audio, video, or even computer code, with examples including ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Perplexity, DALL·E 3, Adobe Firefly, Microsoft CoPilot, Canva, and Grammarly.
We value your input as we implement this new scale. Your feedback will help us ensure that these guidelines are clear, effective, and supportive of our students' learning journey. Please take a few moments to complete our feedback form via the link below:
Chat and Chew
Decatur High School is hosting our first Chat and Chew on Friday, August 22, 2025, at 12:00 PM ET to walk through the grading changes at DHS for 2025–26. Ms. Jessica Miller (DHS instructional Coach) will give a clear overview and answer questions.
Topic: Grading changes at DHS (2025–26)
When: Fri, Aug 22, 12:00–12:30 PM ET
Presenter: Ms. Jessica Miller
Recording: Session will be recorded and linked in the Thursday, August 28 DHS Newsletter
We are looking forward to seeing you there!